Who we are:
The Vera Institute of Justice, founded in 1961, is a nonprofit criminal justice organization that strives to build just government institutions and safe communities free from the scourge of racism, white supremacy, profit, and inequity that is pervasive in this country’s legal systems. We are an “inside” lane organization that drives change at scale with ambitious public sector leaders who share our commitment to building anti-racist, reparative systems that deliver justice. We leverage our access to government to transform these systems and work collaboratively with stakeholders across many movements—including advocacy, grassroots, and grasstop organizations. Our role is to pilot solutions that are transformative and achievable, harness the power of evidence to drive effective policy and practice, and use advocacy and communications to change narratives and norms.
Vera has a staff of 300 people and offices in New York City, Washington, DC, Los Angeles, and New Orleans. We are an equal opportunity employer with a commitment to diversity in the workplace. We expect our staff to embody respect, independence, collaboration, commitment, anti-racism, and equity—both in our outward-facing work and the internal culture of our workplace. We value a range of experiences in people’s educational backgrounds and encourage people who have been directly impacted by the criminal justice system to apply.
Who you are:
Reporting directly to the Editorial Strategy Director, the Managing Editor will manage daily workflow and production of editorial content (reports, fact sheets, blog posts, rapid response pieces, special projects, etc.), including setting and managing deadlines, maintaining a comprehensive content calendar, and overseeing team administrative structure. Additionally, the Managing Editor will serve as an editor for publications when necessary and may be called on for original writing assignments as needed. The Managing Editor will also supervise the Editorial Assistant.
Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
Project Management
- Work with the Editorial Strategy Director to manage production schedules, including setting and meeting deadlines and managing projects using Asana. Manage daily workflow and production of editorial content and maintain a multi-month content calendar.
- Collaborate with authors, designers, editors, and other stakeholders through the production process, carrying projects from initial draft manuscript to print- or digital-ready publication while receiving and managing feedback from diverse parties and working under tight deadlines.
Editorial Strategy
- Work with the Editorial Strategy Director and digital and media teams to develop organizational editorial strategy, including conceiving of and leading production on a wide variety of communications products for a variety of audiences to advance Vera’s strategic priorities.
- Review and edit publications in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment to improve organization, structure, grammar, syntax, and clarity of thesis and arguments, so that they adhere to Vera’s editorial and brand guidelines and reflect the organization's positions.
Administration
- Collaborate with the Editorial Assistant to oversee all team administrative systems and structures, including meeting schedules and agendas, consultant contracts, work orders, invoices, and other elements as necessary.
- Manage and assign tasks as needed to editorial consultants, freelance writers, and interns.
Supervision
- Supervise the Editorial Assistant, including weekly check-ins, mentoring, editorial guidance, professional development, and regular performance reviews.
- Work with writing team to conceive of and assign projects, review content, provide feedback, and manage timelines.
What qualifications do you need?
Required:
- At least seven years of editing and writing experience, preferably in criminal justice, public policy, advocacy, or the social sciences.
- Experience collaborating across teams to manage complex projects.
- Experience supervising editorial staff.
Preferred
- Bachelor’s or advanced degree in communications, journalism, publishing, English, or a criminal justice-related field.
- Experience in a rapid response environment such as a news desk, digital media company, advocacy organization, or similar fast-paced editorial role.
List of Required Software applications:
- Zoom, PowerPoint, Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe Acrobat DC, Asana
Compensation and Benefits:
The compensation range for this position is $106,000 – $109,000. Actual salaries will vary depending on factors including but not limited to experience and performance. The salary range listed is just one component of Vera Institute’s total compensation package for employees. As an employer of choice in our field, supporting Vera staff—both personally and professionally—is a priority. To do this, we invest in the well-being of our staff through other rewards including merit pay, generous paid time off, a comprehensive health insurance plan, student loan repayment benefits, professional development training opportunities and up to $2,000 annual for education costs and fees relevant to Vera work, employer-funded retirement plan, and flexible time. Please note Vera employees adhere to a hybrid schedule: two days in office their first week and three days in office every alternating week. To learn more about Vera’s benefits offerings, click here.
Applications may also be faxed to:
ATTN: People Resources / Managing Editor, Communications
Vera Institute of Justice
34 35th St, Suite 4-2A, Brooklyn, NY 11232
Fax: (212) 941-9407
Please use only one method (online, mail or fax) of submission.
No phone calls, please. Only applicants selected for interviews will be contacted.
As a federal contractor, and in order to ensure a healthy and safe work environment, Vera Institute of Justice is requiring all employees to be fully vaccinated and provide proof of their COVID-19 vaccine before their start date. Employees who cannot receive the vaccine because of a disability/medical contraindication or sincerely-held religious belief may request an accommodation (e.g., an exemption) to this requirement.
Vera is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without unlawful discrimination based on race, color, creed, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, prior record of arrest or conviction, citizenship status, current employment status, or caregiver status.
Vera works to advance justice, particularly racial justice, in an increasingly multicultural country and globally connected world. We value diverse experiences, including with regard to educational background and justice system contact, and depend on a diverse staff to carry out our mission.
For more information about Vera, please visit www.vera.org
